宅
residence, house
At a glance · 宅
Evolution of the glyph
Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
小篆从宀乇声，形声字，本指人所居之处。隶楷作「宅」。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
「宅」本指居住、住所，引申为安顿。
Structure
形声字，宀为意符表房屋，乇为声符。
At a glance
Pinyinzhái
Radical宀
Strokes6
UnicodeU+5B85
Character type形声
Theme建筑
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
residence, house
A dwelling, residence, or house.
Français
résidence, maison
Une demeure, résidence ou maison.
Español
residencia, casa
Una vivienda, residencia o casa.
العربية
مسكن، بيت
مسكن أو منزل.
Русский
жилище, дом
Жилище, резиденция или дом.
Common words
- 住宅zhù zháiresidence
- 宅zháihouse